Thilatharpanapuri or Adhi Vinayakar Temple

Swarnavalli sametha Mukthiswarar temple is located at Thilatharpanapuri 2.6kms from Koothanur. Koothanoor is near Poonthottam which is on Mayavaram – Tiruvarur Road. The nearest railway station is at Poonthottam. The main deities here are Swarnavalli Thayar and Mukthiswarar. The name Thilatharpanapuri comes from two words thil meaning Gingely and tharpana is the Hindu ritual of performing pithru karmas (ritual of paying tribute to ancestors) to ones ancestors. It is also known as Sethalapathy.

Pitru dosham can occur when the souls of our ancestors and departed forefathers do not get peace due to any of the following reasons, when shradham (ritual of paying tribute to ancestors) is not performed.

Bad deeds while they were alive

Bad deeds of the children of the departed

Lack of fulfillment of desires

Simple ways to get rid of Pitru Dosham (Ancestral sin) is to feed the needy on Amavasya day (New Moon day) and perform the tharpanam (ritual of paying tribute to ancestors) regularly. By satisfying the departed souls of our ancestors, we can have their blessing for a happy and peaceful life.

Rama performed tharpanam (ritual of paying tribute to ancestors) for Dasaratha at various placing by placing four pindams (rice balls). However, to his dismay the pindams would turn into worms each time he performed the ritual. A worried Rama prayed to Lord Shiva, who advises Rama to go to mantharavanam (mantharam is the flower of the coral tree, one of the five special trees of heaven) and offer his prayers to Him (shiva) there. He was instructed to take bath in the Arasalar river near there, before performing the Pitru Tharpanam. Rama did as instructed. The four pindams that until now were turning into worms at other places, to his amazement, became four Lingams. Dasaratha Maharaja thus attained mukthi (salvation) and hence the name of the deity here is Mukthiswarar. Since then, the locals believe that that performing the Pitru Tharpanam here absolves you of all your Pitru Sabams (ancestral curse) and Pitru Doshams (ancestral sins). In the outer praharam (circumambulatory path) you can see the idol of Rama performing the tharpanam and also the four lingams known as Pitru Lingams.

This place is considered equivalent to Kasi or Rameswaram. Performing tharpanam here on Amavasya day is considered special. This is a Mukthikshetram. Like Srivanchiyam, it is believed that the sinned will not be able to visit this temple and a planned visit to this temple is not possible.

The shrine for Adhi Vinayakar (also known as Nara mukha vinayakar) is just outside the main temple. Here you can see Ganesha with a human head and hence the Naramukha vinayakar. This place is also known as Sithalapathi. The story of Shiva beheading Naramukha Vinayaka who was created by Parvati and then replacing the head with an elephant head is well known. What is less known is, Shiva had instructed his troops to fetch the head of anyone found sleeping with his head placed towards North. They found this elephant sleeping with its head towards North. This is probably one of the reasons why we are forbidden from sleeping with our head pointing towards North. Shiva named the boy Ganapati – meaning commander of his troops and granted a boon that Ganapati shall be worshipped by everybody before starting anything new.

Boarding & Lodging
Have your travel base as Tiruvarur, Mayiladuthurai or Kumbakonam. If you don’t mind putting up with little discomfort and are a seasoned traveller there is a Sankara Mutt in Koothanur where you can spend the night.

Temples Nearby
The Goddess is Swarnavalli thayar, which is another name for Lakshmi. Kanakadhara stotram was composed here. All the three forms of Shakthi viz Lakshmi (Swarnavalli) at Thilatharpanapuri, Durga (Lalithambigai) at Thirumeyachur and Saraswathi at Koothanur are present nearby.
Seshapureswarar Temple at Thirupamburam is also close to this temple.

Vaishno Devi Temple is the most-sought after pilgrimage of the Hindus. Located at Trikoot Parvat, Mata Vaishno Mandir is the holiest shrine of India and it is famous all over the World. The temple is accessible by a journey of 13 kms from Katra. Katra is a small town that falls in Udhampur district of Jammu. From Jammu, Katra lies at a distance of 50 kms.

Kadiri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple is located in the southeastern part of Anantapur district in Andhra Pradesh, India. Lord Narasimha at Kadiri is swayambhu emerging from the roots of Khadri tree. He appears here as Ashta Bahu Narasimha (having eight hands) tearing Hiranyakasipu. We can see Prahlada standing beside him with folded hands.

Sammakka Saralamma Jatara or Medaram Jatara is a tribal festival of honouring the goddesses celebrated in the state of Telangana, India. The Jatara begins at Medaram in Tadvai Mandal in Warangal district.Medaram is a remote place in the Eturnagaram Wildlife Sanctuary, a part of Dandakaranya, the largest surviving forest belt in the Deccan.

The Ramappa Temple, also known as Ramalingeswara temple is located in the Palampet village at a distance of about 77 km from Warangal. The temple is another example of Kakatiya Dynasty. This is one of the temples which was named after its chief architect. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and the architecture of this temple is similar to the famous Ghanpur Group of Temples of Warangal itself. The temple is a master piece of Kakatiyan architecture and everyone must visit to get a glimpse in the life of Kakatiya people.

Lepakshi is a village in the Anantapur District of Andhra Pradesh, India. It is located 15 km (9.3 mi) east of Hindupur and approximately 120 km (75 mi) north of Bangalore. Lepakshi is culturally and archaeologically significant as it is the location of shrines dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu and Veerabhadra which were built during the Vijayanagara Kings' period (1336-1646).

Ayodhya is the place where Lord Sri Ram was born and ruled for many years (after killing Ravana). There was an existing temple built in this city, proofs of which have been found during ASI excavation. More than the physical temple and exact spot, the important point is the association of this city (town) with Lord Sri Rama, the most important incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

Siddeshwara temple has a rich ancient history associated with it. The temple was built in 3rd century A.D. Even though built in a time period when life was totally different from today's world, people fascinate about the architecture of this temple a lot.

Srikakulam has a rich history and is the first capital of the Andhra Kingdom. The ancient Srikakuleswara Swamy temple is located on the banks of River Krishna and is considered to be the 57th of 108 Divya Desams, holiest of shrines dedicated to Lord Vishnu, by Vasihnavaites. The temple has a rich cultural and historical legacy and is one of the oldest temples in the south. Great poets like Srinatha Kavi Sarvabhoumudu, Kasuala Purushottama and Narayanatheertha, the composer of Sri Krishna Leela Tharangini praised the temple in their works. The temple is located in the mandal of Ghantasala, which is a popular Buddhist center.